


Secret Love From A Secret War

by Smokeycut



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Romance, much wooing, star crossed lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 16:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18720361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smokeycut/pseuds/Smokeycut
Summary: Years ago, Janet Van Dyne crossed paths with a man the world believed to be a monster. But in the time they spent together, she learned that there was much more to the Master of Magnetism than she had heard. And when he comes back into her life, years later and changed in unexpected ways, will the passion they shared resurface? Or will they be condemned to be ships that pass in the night?





	Secret Love From A Secret War

She was never a fan of the Living Laser. Not as a person, not as a member of society, and certainly not as a villain. His energy discharges burnt the air, leaving behind a smell that always made her gag. 

But at least he had been dealt with, and without any loss of life in the process. Cap was standing over a pile of unconscious henchman, while Winter Soldier and Black Widow disarmed the gene bomb that Laser had been transporting. 

“Hydra? Really, Arthur? You’re working with nazis now?” Janet shook her head in disgust. “What would your mother think?”

“You all good over here?” Cap asked, checking in on Bucky and Nat. They nodded, and so he moved on to join Janet in dealing with Living Laser. “Hydra? Really?”

“That’s exactly what I said.” Janet rolled her eyes, then knelt down to look at Laser eye-to-eye. He merely glared at her with contempt. “So, what’s the plan, huh? Deliver this bomb to Zemo? Or were you boys going to plant it somewhere and set it off?”

“Screw you, &$@¥,” he spat. “Hail Hydra.”

“I doubt that he will be of much help, but...” A new voice rang out, coming from above. Janet looked up and saw a familiar figure floating in the sky, draped in crimson and magenta. “I could always lend my hand in this interrogation, if so desired.”

Bucky drew his sidearm. Nat went for her baton. Sam drew his shield. The sounds of Tony’s suit charging up could be heard in the distance. But Janet, and Janet alone, didn’t take up a defensive stance. She simply smiled and waved at the figure. 

And with a small gesture, Magneto waved back. 

“I come bearing no ill will, Captain,” The Master of Magnetism said to Sam as he touched down on the ground. 

Bucky looked to Sam, and began to lower his pistol. Nat still gripped her baton tightly, even though she knew Magneto would just pull it from her hands if she tried to use it. Tony flew closer, and kept his repulsers aimed at Magneto. Erik ignored him entirely. 

“This doesn’t really concern you, bucket head,” Iron Man told him, only to be waved off by Janet. 

“I’m team leader here, Tony. Stand down. If Magneto says he’s not here for a fight, I believe him. He’s typically a man of his word,” she said with a small, gentle smile. 

Magneto stood close to her, less than two feet away, and glanced down at the bound super villain. 

“I heard rumors of Hydra activity. I merely wished to aid in the destruction of this particular cell. However...” He regarded at the defeated Hydra goons with a satisfied look on his face. “I see that is not necessary. Still, I would like to assist in the rest of this caper, if you would allow me to do so.”

He turned his gaze towards Janet, and she found herself looking deep into his smoldering eyes. He tilted his head and offered the subtlest of smiles, and they both found themselves transported, for just a moment, to a night several years prior. 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Janet sat, alone, in the great hall of Magneto’s base in the mountains. It was quiet, with the only sounds coming from the rain, drumming against the windows in a steady, soothing rhythm. She reclined on the sofa, and found her thoughts drifting. 

Questions about their surroundings, about Battleworld and the contest of champions they had found themselves in, circled in her mind in a whirlwind of confusion. Questions about the safety of her team, the status of their opponents... and why, exactly, Magneto had been placed on the side of good for this battle. He was a villain, wasn’t he? A terrorist? A monster? That’s what they said, at least. But would a monster rescue a hero in distress, as he had? Would a monster shelter her from Molecule Man, and this dangerous weather? Welcome her into his lair, and treat her as kindly, as delicately, as he had?

Questions to ponder during her stay, however long she would be stuck there. She had to admit, though, it was nice to gain a respite from the hostilities. But before she could think on it further, her host returned, from wherever it was he had gone.

“You’re back,” she noted aloud. Of course he was, she thought to herself with a brief mental kick to the shins. He had told her he would be.

“Indeed I am,” Magneto said. There was no annoyance in his voice, she noticed. She had expected him to be short tempered. Volatile. But instead he was calm. Pleasant, really. And the way he carried his helmet under his arm, the way his cape billowed behind him... It was almost... Charming.

“What were you up to?” She asked. While she was here, in the stronghold of one enemy, it would be wise to learn what she could. She’d really be an idiot if she didn’t do some recon before returning to her teammates. 

He sat beside her, though with some distance between them. Enough that she didn’t feel at all uncomfortable sharing the sofa with him. He reclined, resting an arm on the backrest of the furniture, and levitating a small goblet of wine from the table to his free hand with just a motion. The other cup slid across the table, closer to Janet, though he didn’t push her to drink from it. 

“I was checking on the camera feeds. There are several security cameras, positioned around the outside of this building. I take a look at them every hour or so, to ensure that I am well aware of any potential intruders I may have in the future.”

“And I assume you haven’t found any,” Janet implied, giving him the space to confirm, or correct, her statement. She reached forward, and took the goblet of wine from the table. She watched him drink from his, and then took a small sip of her own. It didn’t appear to be poisoned. But for some reason, she didn’t get the feeling he would ever do such a thing. 

“Thus far, you are the only one who knows of my little hideout, here in the mountains.” He smiled. It was a small smile. One that carried not even the slightest hint of malice or betrayal. It was warm. Friendly. Maybe, just maybe, more than that...

“Just you and your prisoner, huh?”

His smile fell, replaced by a sense of sorrow. He set down his drink and looked at her directly for the first time since she had met him, in that ship they were placed on by their captor.

“You are not my prisoner, Miss Van Dyne. I would never hold captive a woman such as yourself.”

“A woman such as myself? What’s that supposed to mean?” She shot him a glare, although she had to force herself to do such a thing. It felt... Wrong, to give him such a withering look. But he took it in stride, maintaining both his sense of melancholy, as well as his regal composure. 

“A woman of great strength, and great wisdom,” he said in a low, gentle voice. His accent, Polish perhaps, affected every word in slight, subtle, beautiful ways. The compliments incited a creeping blush that she was powerless to suppress. “Even if a man such as I dared try to contain you... I have the utmost faith that they would fail in that endeavor.”

“Well then. You sure know how to flatter a gal,” she said, looking away and hoping he didn’t notice how red her cheeks had become. She took another small sip of wine, then set her cup down beside his. She glanced back at her host, and found that his smile had returned, and grown into a more bashful form. She had no idea that super villains could be bashful.

“If there is anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable, please, do not hesitate to let me know,” He told her. 

He spoke earnestly, softly... And she found herself gazing into his eyes. They were so soft, so gentle, so deep and so blue. He may have been an older man, but that didn’t occur at all to Janet in that moment. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself, and the way he was treating her... It was all so... so... 

Romantic. The realization came with a shock, and her eyes shot wide open, and she would have coughed up her wine, had she still been drinking it. She pushed down the feelings, muffled them as best she could, and reminded herself that she wasn’t sharing this room with an ally, but rather, a villain. Yet, try as she might to keep that in mind, it never once felt like an accurate label. She tried to keep her eye on the ball. Tried to stay focused on the mission. Tried to quell the butterflies stirring up trouble inside her.

“You could tell me your plan,” she suggested, inching closer to him. If he was, indeed, interested in her like that, she could use it to her advantage. That’s what she told herself, anyways. Her fingers brushed against his, and she continued to gaze deeply into his eyes. She offered a small, sweet smile, and watched as his head tilted closer. His lips parted, and he whispered in response...

“Plan?”

“Yes, your plan. You struck out on your own for a reason, didn’t you?” She asked coyly. Magneto’s hand rested itself over her’s, yet he paused, and considered the question before offering an answer.

“Your allies, I am afraid, would never accept me as an ally. Not when the world believes me to be a criminal and a monster.”

“What would you consider yourself to be, then, Magneto?” She placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. 

“Please... Call me Erik,” he requested. His own hand gripped her wrist gently, and pulled it away from his shoulder, lifting it between them and placing a kiss on the back of her hand. 

Her breath hitched, and she pulled her hand away slowly, bringing it down to her lap. “What would you consider yourself to be, then, Erik?”

“I am merely a man who refuses to see his people face extermination again,” He whispered, more to himself than to his guest. His voice took a dark bent to it, and her mind filled in the gaps. 

Her heart broke for the man who sat before her, and she leaned closer, her hand moving to his waist, and the other to his chest. He looked up again, and into her eyes. As lovely as she found his, he believed her’s to be unparalleled in their beauty. And so, when their lips met, and their eyes closed, they found themselves wishing that they could simply regard one another again. 

The coming days would bring an end to their brief affair. In time, she would learn that Erik was willing to fight all sides for his own survival, including her allies in The Avengers. And he, in turn, would learn that Janet’s loyalties could not be so easily swayed by passions of the heart. But when all parties were returned home, they shared a parting glance before Magneto returned to Asteroid M, and she to Avengers Mansion. 

But for that night, on Battleworld, they found an escape from The Beyonder’s secret little war. An escape from their roles as a hero and a villain. An escape from their loyalties to allies and to race. An escape in each other’s eyes, and words, and arms.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Janet turned to her team, and put a hand on her hip as she made a decision as their leader. They had elected her, after all, and made it her job to decide these things.

“Magneto is going to help us with this one, okay? I want full cooperation. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bucky said with a sarcastic salute. He turned his attention back to the disabled gene bomb, only to find it disassemble itself before his very eyes. Magneto stepped between Bucky and Natasha, and glowed with pride as the various pieces fell to the ground, now useless. 

“I could have done that,” Bucky insisted, eliciting a snort from Nat. 

Erik ignored the playful teasing, and turned his attention back to Janet. She stood tall, and proud, in the gold and black costume she had designed herself. Confidence shone from her like a glowing jewel, and he was content to marvel at the sight. 

“Thank you, Erik.” Jan smiled again as he nodded in her direction. “We’ll need to get one of your telepath friends down here, unless Tony can track the rest of this Hydra cell down and figure out what they were planning with that gene bomb of theirs.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m working on it,” Tony said as he consulted a variety of screens on his HUD. 

“Until then...?” Erik looked at Janet, and she at him, both suppressing eager grins. 

“Why don’t we grab some coffee,” Janet suggested. “There’s a place a few blocks from here. I’m sure Tony will be done by the time we’re finished.”

“Well, while you two... catch up?” Sam spoke up, giving the pair a bewildered look. “Buck, Nat, and I are gonna grab some hot dogs. Be back here in an hour or so.”

“Cool. Just leave me here. Alone. With the nazis,” Tony groaned. 

“We’ll get you one, don’t worry!” Nat called out as the three wandered off. 

And so, the Avenger and the Mutant leader found themselves alone once again, on opposite sides of a booth in a small shop, hot cups of coffee warming their hands through the gloves of their costumes. Catching up after years apart, and remembering why their brief, passionate affair had occurred in the first place. 

“So... I saw the trial,” Jan said, before taking a sip of her coffee and giving her date a chance to smirk at the mention of what was, quite possibly, the most pivotal moment of his life. 

“Overjoyed to see me find my way to the side of the angels, Miss Van Dyne?” He asked coyly. 

“You could say that. What have you been up to since then?”

“You always have been eager to know my business, haven’t you?” His tone carried a strong sense of fondness, as though her questions put him at ease rather than put him on the defensive, as one would expect them to. She liked the fact that she could always dig for answers, which he would happily give. After a bit of banter, of course.

“Tit for tat?”

He smiled warmly, and took her hand in his. She returned the expression with ease. It was like nothing had changed between them, even though so much had changed about their lives in the past few years.

“Since Charles’ departure, I’ve taken charge of the school,” Erik admitted. “His students have become my own, and I am doing what I can to educate them properly. To... further Charles’ vision for a better, more hopeful future between my people and your’s.”

“I’m glad.” She looked into his eyes, and watched as his smoldering gaze softened, and became more slightly more bashful and just a bit insecure. “I’m sure you’re a great teacher. Really.”

“I can only hope,” He said quietly. “I find myself growing to care for these children as though they were my own. No longer do I think of war with humankind. Instead, I simply desire a peaceful world for them to inherit.”

“Sounds like quite the change of heart,” Janet teased, squeezing his hand, and eliciting another smile. 

“Merely a change of perspective,” He countered. “Now, I believe you promised an equal exchange of information, Miss Van Dyne...”

“Did I?” She feigned no memory of doing such a thing, before breaking into a brief fit of giggling. “Fine, fine... Well, I’m leading The Avengers, for one. Voted chairwoman three years in a row, now.”

“As it always should have been, if you ask me.”

“Why thank you! You always did know how to flatter a woman,” Janet said. This time, the blush that crept across one’s cheeks belonged to Erik, rather than herself. And that fact only made her smile more. “Of course, that’s not the only big change in my life these days.”

“Oh? Do tell...”

“I adopted a teenaged girl.”

“Oh.” He failed to disguise the surprise he felt at that particular revelation. But he recovered quickly, and looked at her with a sense of curiosity. 

“She was Hank’s daughter, with his first wife. He died without knowing she even existed, and I’m the closest thing to family that she has now. So I took her in. I’ve even been teaching her how to use her size changing powers.” Janet smiled fondly as she thought of Nadia, and the young girl’s first time shrinking to the size of an ant. “She wants to be The Wasp, someday. Can you believe that?”

“I certainly can,” Erik replied. He set down his coffee cup, now emptied of its contents, and stood up from the booth. Janet finished off her own cup, then joined him. “I see no reason why any girl would not wish to follow in your footsteps, Miss Van Dyne.”

“You can call me Janet, you know,” She teased, playfully nudging the Master of Magnetism in the ribs. “We’ve known each other long enough to get beyond “Miss Van Dyne”, don’t you think, Erik?”

He smiled, and opened the door for her. “Very well then. Janet, would you allow me the honor of accompanying you back to your team?”

“I’d love that, actually.” And when he took her arm in his, she dove in and stole a kiss. “Now then, let’s go kick some nazi ass.”

“Nothing in this world, or any other, could bring me greater joy.”

And so, arm in arm, the hero and the villain, the Avenger and the X-Man, the Wasp and Magneto, flew off into the city. Reunited, at last, and more than ready to face the world together. A world in which their affection did not have to be hidden behind stolen glances and battlefields.


End file.
